Robert Petitpas

Contact

Current research

Ontological politics of tree conservation: the case of araucarias in Chile

This research aims to understand the politics around the uses and conservation of araucarias (Araucaria araucana). The araucaria is an iconic tree in Chile, present on banknotes, and other official documents, and sacred to indigenous people. Also, araucaria seeds have been for centuries a staple food to Pehuenche people. The species is a Natural Monument and thus protected in all the Chilean territory. Also, the species is classified as Vulnerable by Chilean law, and Endangered at the international level (IUCN red lists). Despite the strong protection that the tree has in Chile, there are disagreements regarding the future of the species. Recent wildfires, unknown diseases, drier climate conditions, and increases in seed consumption, have triggered scientific projects and experts committees in order to assess threats to araucaria forests. Many Chilean scientists are advocating to change the conservation status from Vulnerable to Endangered, on the other hand, Pehuenche communities made this year a public statement rejecting the change in the conservation status, worried that their ancestral access to the seed will be restricted. Later, the national forest corporation (CONAF) declared that there is not enough scientific evidence to declare the species endangered. In response, the Ministry of Environment declared that they were the only institution entitled to change the conservation status, and the decision on the matter will be delivered in 2018.

The change from Vulnerable to Endangered and its ecological and social consequences unveil not only scientific uncertainties but also social and political processes that are behind the interactions between the different actors involved in araucaria conservation, and also the interactions between humans and araucarias. But we propose that the araucaria of the scientists, the government and the local communities are not the same araucarias. By using an ontological politics framework, where araucarias are considered ontologically multiple, we aim at better understand the politics behind the agreements and disagreements regarding the conservation of araucarias in Chile. Also, this research aims at exploring the different ways of understanding the araucaria, the discrepancies and similarities between different understandings, and role of these in shaping the politics of araucaria conservation.